Dad's two special books.

Dad has gone to his day care which he calls 'the old boys'. He asks me each day, 'is it today I go', 'when do I go', 'I haven't been in ages', he can ask up to 15 times a day. He worries about being woken up in time to go, whether he will have clothes to wear. I can only reassure him that I will help him and that he will go on Tuesday. Last week, when I picked him up, the carers told me how they had watched the movie 'Mama Mia' and how Dad had got up and did a dance and a jig. On the way home I said 'you have had a good day and you had a dance' and Dad said 'yes, I was happy my granddaughter got into Law'. That was the morning we found out about my daughter's Law placement. Whilst growing up, Dad would often do this funny dance, jig and kick both legs out to side, clicking his feet together. How we all used to laugh and he would have his grandchildren in stitches...'do it again Pa'. So it's wonderful that Dad still has some terrific days.

I have noticed a little cognitive decline. Some days Dad says more sentences which don't make sense. Showering, he may get out with the shampoo still in his hair but overall he still has great days. One day he was worried that he couldn't find his 2 very special books (I have given the whole top shelf of the book case for these 2 books, because they deserve it and so Dad can find them). He was awarded them for being apprentice of the year in 1949 and they were presented to him in a ceremony at the Town Hall. They were still on the bookshelf but I noticed after Dad had come home from my Brothers that he had gone and found the booklets of my Brothers Degree ceremony and put them in between them. It was like 'that's my boy a chip off the old block'.

We are having a heat wave, 5 days to come in the 40's. I don't like it that hot and I find that Dad needs to have an afternoon lay down. He usually will have a nap in his chair and I have said why don't you have a lay down but he won't. But on hot days he will. I'm hoping the week of hot weather doesn't tire him too much because on Saturday we have a family outing with my cousins planned. We are going to drive to Queenscliff and catch the ferry (put the car on too) to Portsea, have lunch in the beautiful Portsea Hotel, on the cliff overlooking the bay and perhaps go to a rose garden maze. Dad loves being on the water, he used to have a boat and his Father did too. My Grandfather built his own boat and also his house. I can remember my Granddad's boat, this big wooden fishing boat. As a family we spent many hours fishing or water skiing.

All in all, everything is good.